Moral Foundations: In the Moment

 I learned as a toddler that Peter Rabbit’s antics in Farmer McGregor’s garden were inappropriate. This was a powerful lesson for a malleable young mind. I don’t imagine I ever intentionally sought moral development in my early formative years. Most of the factors shaping my sense of right and wrong were inadvertent experiences and lessons that quietly birthed moral qualities much like the distasteful architecture and poor poetry were the delicate nuances which unobtrusively affected C.S. Lewis’ worldview. The experiences, role models, stories, and adversities contributing to my moral development must surely be countless and most lost to memory. A few are outstanding.

When I was about twenty, I was visiting my parents at their home in the country. On a walk, I found a large boulder overlooking a lake and settled on it to reflect and enjoy the view. After a few minutes, I had a sensation of longing. C.S. Lewis talks about this longing and describes it as “joy”  This was a remarkably clear remembrance of the way I perceived life as a child—a life characterized by a delightful enjoyment of the present moment unhindered by the burdens and stifling notions of an emerging adulthood. My response to this profound experience was a conviction of the goodness and primacy of the present moment and that attentiveness to it was essential to live my life well. Educator, Peter Vaill asserts that this intentional awareness of the present moment is an element of spiritual growth that is supremely significant  I pursue this practice as a means toward galvanizing my actions.